Aus-Some Opportunity

Tom Rogic has high hopes of travelling to next year’s World Cup in Russia after injury kept him from Australia’s squad for Brazil four years ago.

- Mark Henderson

IT’S understandable that Tom Rogic is hesitant at becoming too excited at the prospect of participating in the World Cup next year, despite Australia sealing their place in the finals. From painful personal experience, he knows nothing can be taken for granted in football.

It was four years ago that the 24-year-old was in the same position when the Socceroos booked their berth in Brazil, only for an untimely injury to cruelly deny him the chance to play on the biggest stage in international football.

Until he is on the plane to Russia, he won’t allow himself to get infected with World Cup fever, but what he can talk openly about at the moment are the huge benefits qualification will bring in growing football Down Under. With healthy attendances in the domestic A-League and more young people in Australia taking up the sport, Rogic told the View that reaching a fourth successive World Cup is crucial in continuing this positive trend.

“It was a great feeling to qualify and it meant a lot on a personal level but it’s massive for football in Australia,” he said in an exclusive interview. “The sport is growing in Australia so it was vital that we qualified.

“There was a real buzz around Sydney for the final play-off game which was great to see. It’s a little different to here in Scotland as football in Australia is still growing and there are a lot of other sports competing to be that No.1 sport, so it’s important for us as a country to have the national team going to the biggest event in football.